ISLAND HISTORY: Native Hawaiian whaleship captain George Gilley

ISLAND HISTORY: Native Hawaiian whaleship captain George Gilley

During the 19th century, whaling was a multi-million dollar industry in the United States involving long whale hunting voyages across the world’s oceans by hundreds of whaleships. Major Hawaiian ports for provisioning whaleships and recruiting new crewmen were Honolulu and Lahaina. Whaleships also visited the lesser Kauai ports of Hanalei, Waimea and Koloa. Many Hawaiians became whaleship crewmen, and among the captains of those whaleships was N…